The RTX 3080 FE continues to overheat even after installing the thermal pad.
The RTX 3080 FE continues to overheat even after installing the thermal pad.
Hello, My RTX 3080 FE has been operating quite warm lately, consistently reaching around 91 degrees with fans spinning at 4000 rpm when under load. It feels like a jet engine in the room. I used the same thermal pads and paste as described in the tutorial. The junction temperatures on the memory have dropped noticeably, but the core GPU temperature remains unchanged. I've experimented with under-volting, but it hasn't affected the readings. The room temperature is only about 17 degrees, and leaving the side panels off my case didn’t help. Any suggestions to lower the heat?
It seems you're achieving excellent VRAM contact, likely more than needed. The best approach would be to thin the material there so the core maintains stronger connections.
It depends on the specific application, but swapping those pads could affect performance. Consider testing to see if it meets your needs.
If you attempt this, I recommend taking apart afterward to verify the chips are properly pressed into the pads and that they establish good contact—perhaps you can see it during mounting when the card is placed, allowing you to inspect through the surface. Even if you need to re-pad. This might not be necessary unless your fan speed has been reduced too much. In both cases, consider whether the card is throttling more or less under different voltage settings. Which frequency/voltage setting did you select (for instance, for my 3070 I use 1710MHz/0.775V)? Edited April 21, 2025 by leclod
Performance is poor, especially with high temperatures. The AIOs further reduce airflow, making it worse. Consider a better case with improved airflow and avoid the AIO. Thermal pads are fine as long as they fit properly.
It always brings back memories of DDTS, who’s been grumbling about his extremely hot 3080 for years... He tested every fix—mods, pads, fans… even holes—until he realized his favorite AIO was the real issue.
I understand wanting to upgrade but lack PSU, thermal, and I don’t want the GPU causing HDD stress. Yesterday’s Timespy graphics score was 13219—still not significantly better, right? Edited April 21, 2025 by leclod
The thermal pads are certainly the right dimensions. While most online resources recommend 2mm and 3mm, some users report improved results with 1.5mm and 2mm options. I might consider trying a different size next time. How much would an AIO cooler impact temperatures? I’ll include a screenshot from hwinfo right after the section where I removed it and another in-game shot displaying the readings.
Case cooling definitely impacts temperatures by 10 to 20 degrees... I've experienced this before, managing fans can cut heat by about 15 degrees. Usually it's about adjusting the fan placement rather than following manufacturer advice. Inwin's recommendations aren't wrong, but a CPU cooler is essential for good case cooling—especially in AIO setups where you miss out on key components like fans. A downwind CPU cooler works well, though a regular tower cooler won't be much better overall. Still, it's worth trying if you can lower the hotspot by 10 degrees. That said, I'm not using any undervolt settings, but I did check my benchmark results. The Superposition 1080p extreme is solid, though I'm unsure about the UV status. Also, the driver performance is poor at 566.33.